The present invention relates to an image acquisition apparatus for use with a microscope, an image recording system that uses the image acquisition apparatus, and an image storage method. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image acquisition apparatus for use with a microscope, a microscope system that uses the image acquisition apparatus and stores image data, and an image storage method wherein an appropriate storage procedure is performed depending on the amount of change detected when successively acquired images of a specimen are compared.
Conventionally, in order to store images of objects observed by a microscope, utilization has been made of a method of photography that employs a silver salt film camera. Recently, methods of photographing objects utilizing electronic cameras (termed ‘digital cameras’) have become popular.
In the medical and science sectors, multiple applications have been provided that observe living cells as an object and, in order to observe changes of the living cells over time, imaging apparatuses for microscopes (i.e., microscope cameras) have been developed that record what will be termed herein as ‘ordinary’ motion picture images (wherein motion picture images are successively acquired at the normal rate for motion pictures over a continuous period, as in an ordinary movie), as well as apparatuses for microscopes that record time-lapse photography images, and the like.
Generally, in executing motion picture recording, time-lapse photography recording, and so on, the amount of photographic image data obtained is limited by the storage capacity of the storage medium that is to store the photographic image data, and the needless consumption of storage capacity is to be avoided since it increases costs. Thus, a photographic device for use with a microscope has previously been developed that accomplishes detailed storage of only the required image data. It does this by “thinning” unnecessary image data from among photographed image data, as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H10-66074.
However, in a photographic apparatus that performs ordinary motion picture recording of images, it is preferred that the frame rate not be reduced. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of image data during ordinary motion picture recording, various techniques have been applied which change (i.e., lower) the resolution of the recorded image (e.g., by compressing the image data). As a result, images desired by an observer and in which living cells change in appearance over a short period of time may not be recorded with an adequate resolution or picture quality.
Furthermore, in terms of a desired visual phenomenon to be recorded, recording of images has generally been accomplished wherein a specimen image is obtained in some manner in order to provide an image having adequate resolution and picture quality. In the case of increasing the degree of resolution and accomplishing ordinary motion picture recording, if the period in which an observed object generates a desired phenomenon is short relative to the period of photographic recording, the majority of the data obtained will have an unnecessarily high degree of image resolution, resulting in the capacity of the storage medium being needlessly consumed.